Grand champion Kakuryu kicked off the Summer Grand Sumo Tournament on a winning note Sunday, collecting an opening-day victory in front of a sell-out crowd at the first basho of Japan's new imperial era.

The 33-year-old Mongolian drew roaring cheers from the full house after driving the komusubi straight from the ring in typical yokozuna fashion. Ozeki Goeido and newly-promoted Takakeisho also posted convincing wins on Day 1 in Tokyo.

Among the ozeki on opening day, Goeido bolted out of the gates with a sharp slap to Hokutofuji and bulldozed the top-ranked maegashira over the straw. Takayasu, meanwhile, was forced out by No. 1 Kotoshogiku. The former ozeki got the better of the initial charge and steadily muscled out Takayasu with an underarm grip.

In his first bout at sumo's second-highest rank, Takakeisho dominated No. 2 Endo and started off strong in his campaign to become the first ozeki debutant to claim the Emperor's Cup since Hakuho achieved the feat in 2006. The newly-promoted wrestler immediately launched an all-out offensive upon Endo, then pushed the maegashira off balance and quickly struck again to secure the match.

In other upper-ranked bouts, sekiwake Ichinojo took a loss at the hands of No. 2 Daieisho. The big Mongolian got knocked back after the initial charge and was eventually thrusted out.

Facing a daunting task to regain ozeki status, Tochinoshin got the first win out of the way by beating No. 3 Chiyotairyu. The sekiwake got a solid grip on the 198-kilogram Chiyotairyu's belt and, in a show of sheer strength, lifted him clear off the ground and deposited him outside the ring. The Georgian was demoted after finishing with a losing record in the past two meets and needs to earn 10 wins or more to earn promotion back to ozeki.

Komusubi Aoiyama defeated No. 3 Tamawashi, delivering a right-handed slap that stunned January's champion and allowed the Bulgarian to drive him over the straw. Aoiyama is making a return to the three "sanyaku" ranks below yokozuna for the first time since January 2015.

Among the rank-and-filers, makuuchi debutant Enho picked up his first top-tier win, overcoming an 86-kg deficit to beat top-division returnee Tokushoryu. At 99 kg, Enho is the lightest of the "sekitori" wrestlers in the top two divisions and has already gained a significant following during his rise through the lower ranks.

Kakuryu, seeking his sixth top-division title, improved to 2-0 by quickly pushing out the winless No. 1 maegashira Hokutofuji in the final bout on Day 2 at Ryogoku Kokugikan.

The contest was over almost as quickly as it started, with Kakuryu driving the hapless Hokutofuji out backward right from the jump. The 33-year-old Mongolian is the only competing grand champion in the absence of all-time championship record-holder Hakuho, who hurt his biceps while defeating Kakuryu en route to a perfect 15-0 victory at the Spring Grand Sumo Tournament.

New ozeki Takakeisho also picked up his second win of the 15-day tournament by thrusting out No. 1 Kotoshogiku (1-1). The 22-year-old crowd favorite, contesting his first basho at sumo's second-highest rank, came in low and fast from the jump. Using a two-handed shove to the chest, he quickly dislodged the veteran, who upset another ozeki, Takayasu, on Day 1.

Takayasu (1-1) bounced back from his opening day defeat by thrusting out No. 2 Endo (0-2). The ozeki stayed composed as Endo charged, using his size and strength to shove the rank-and-file grappler out.

Ozeki Goeido stayed perfect by beating komusubi Aoiyama by arm throw. With the win, Goeido improved to 21-3 against the Bulgarian, who earned promotion back to the "sanyaku" ranks below yokozuna after going 12-3 at the spring basho.

Goeido survived an early scare after giving up ground to the 193-kilogram komusubi. With his back to the straw, the ozeki used a strong inside grip to topple Aoiyama (1-1) at the edge of the ring.

Sekiwake Tochinoshin (2-0) took another step toward regaining his ozeki ranking with an impressive lift-out win over No. 2 Daieisho. The powerfully built Georgian took an inside grip before hoisting the maegashira over the straw. Tochinoshin (2-0) needs at least 10 wins to go straight back to ozeki following his demotion after the spring meet.

Sekiwake Tamawashi, who claimed his first title at the New Year Grand Tournament, fell to 0-2 with a loss against komusubi Mitakeumi. In a back-and-forth bout, neither wrestler could gain a clear early advantage. With both fighters deploying thrusting attacks, Mitakeumi (1-1) got the win by changing tack and slapping his opponent down.

Sekiwake Ichinojo bounced back from his opening-day loss by forcing out No. 3 Chiyotairyu. After a hard collision, Ichinojo (1-1) used his 227-kg bulk to drive Chiyotairyu (0-2) out backward.

Natsu Day 3: Kakuryu wins as three ozeki beaten
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Written by Kyodo
Published: 14 May 2019
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Yokozuna Kakuryu earned his third straight win on Tuesday and gained some breathing room as all three ozeki were defeated on Day 3 of the 15-day Summer Grand Sumo Tournament.

The yokozuna survived a scare against top-ranked maegashira Kotoshogiku (1-2), when the former ozeki’s elbow touched down first as Kakuryu’s powerful overarm throw flipped both wrestlers onto their topknots.

Among the upper-ranked fighters, only Kakuryu and sekiwake Tochinoshin remain undefeated after three days of action at Ryogoku Kokugikan as upsets overshadowed the stars at sumo’s second highest rank.

In the penultimate bout, No. 1 Hokutofuji (1-2) rallied against the newly promoted Takakeisho, who was handed his first loss of the meet. Takakeisho attempted his tried-and-true thrusting charge but was intercepted by a revved-up Hokutofuji, who secured his first victory by driving the new ozeki out the opposite side.

Goeido also took his first loss as No. 2 Endo (1-2) picked up some momentum before his bout on Wednesday against Kakuryu. Endo got the better of a slap exchange and took the ozeki to the edge, denying Goeido an effective belt hold as he nudged him over the straw.

Takayasu (1-2) was the first of the three ozeki to fall, leaving the ring in defeat to komusubi Mitakeumi (2-1). The struggling ozeki was thrust off-balance in a strong initial drive from Mitakeumi, and was slapped down as he tried to charge and regain position.

Tamawashi (1-2) earned his first win of the tournament and pulled ahead in his rivalry with Mongolian compatriot Ichinojo, who fell to 1-2. Tamawashi’s diving assault steamrolled the 227-kilogram sekiwake out of the ring after Ichinojo’s slap-down strategy failed.

Sekiwake Tochinoshin picked up his third straight win in his race to regain ozeki status, defeating winless No. 4 Okinoumi in a test of strength. The sekiwake was forced to dig in against the maegashira after locking onto his belt, then pivoted Okinoumi around to a pushing battle on the straw, with Tochinoshin exerting his power to come out the victor.

Returning komusubi Aoiyama (1-2) was quickly dispatched by No. 2 Daieisho. The big Bulgarian took the brunt of the initial charge and found himself pedaling backward out of the ring as Daieisho improved to 2-1.

Not a good day for the three ozeki. I'm glad Kakuryu keeps in form as I hope he wins at least one basho this year. Tochinoshin still looks strong. I hope he gets his ten wins and returns to the ozeki ranks.

I'm eager to see Enho wrestle a heavyweight rikishi such as Kaisei or even Ichinojo in the future,

Not a good day for the three ozeki. I'm glad Kakuryu keeps in form as I hope he wins at least one basho this year. Tochinoshin still looks strong. I hope he gets his ten wins and returns to the ozeki ranks.

I'm eager to see Enho wrestle a heavyweight rikishi such as Kaisei or even Ichinojo in the future,

The Mongolian grand champion pushed out Endo in the final bout of the day at Ryogoku Kokugikan to improve to a perfect 4-0.

After shoving Endo (1-3) backward, Kakuryu yanked him off balance and drove him out from behind, getting the result in less elegant fashion than his previous wins at the 15-day tournament.

Sekiwake Tochinoshin (4-0) finished the day as the only undefeated wrestler in the three "sanyaku" ranks below yokozuna.

The burly Georgian made another stride toward regaining ozeki status with a gritty front force-out victory over No. 3 Tamawashi (1-3). The Mongolian maegashira forced Tochinoshin backward with a thrusting attack, but the sekiwake held his ground before muscling his opponent out from the opposite side of the ring.

All three current ozeki returned to the winner's circle following losses on Day 3.

In a highly anticipated bout, newly promoted Takakeisho moved to 3-1 by beating one of his most troublesome opponents, Mitakeumi. The komusubi had won seven of their 10 previous encounters, including the past five in a row.

Takekeisho flew into Mitakeumi with both hands but was unable to push him out. With the pair wrapped up chest to chest, Takakeisho dug deep to hoist Mitakeumi (2-2) out backward. The win may have come at a cost, however, with Takakeisho limping from the ring with a possible leg injury.

Goeido advanced to 3-1 with an overarm-throw victory over former ozeki Kotoshogiku (1-3). After absorbing his opponent's opening charge, the Sakaigawa stable wrestler showed his throwing prowess by twisting Kotoshogiku to the clay.

Takayasu improved to 2-2 after thrusting out No. 1 Hokutofuji (1-3). The Taganoura stable grappler, who is aiming for his maiden top-level trophy, overwhelmed his opponent from the jump with a relentless thrusting attack.

Sekiwake Ichinojo (2-2) eased to victory over winless No. 4 Okinoumi. The Mongolian giant took a double outside grip and used his roughly 60-kilogram weight advantage to drive his rank-and-file opponent out backward.

New ozeki Takakeisho has pulled out of the Summer Grand Sumo Tournament due to a right-knee injury, the Japan Sumo Association said Thursday.

The 22-year-old wrestler, promoted to the sport’s second-highest rank for the 15-day tournament which began Sunday at Tokyo’s Ryogoku Kokugikan, sustained the injury in a bout against Mitakeumi on Wednesday.

Though his yorikiri win over Mitakeumi moved him to 3-1, Takakeisho, the youngest wrestler in the top-tier makuuchi division, called his stablemaster Thursday morning to tell him he injured the ligament on the inside of his knee.

Takakeisho was among the big names headlining the first basho of the Reiwa Era, Japan’s new imperial era which started May 1. He is the first newly promoted ozeki to withdraw from a tournament since Tochinoshin, last July.

“He said he wants to sit out the meet because he’s feeling pain. It must really hurt because he rarely says he’s hurt,” his stablemaster Chiganoura said.

“He must be most disappointed by this. But he can’t ruin his sumo career by pushing himself to compete. He’ll take his time and recuperate. If he makes a full recovery, he’ll be able to perform well,” the stablemaster said.

Takakeisho is unlikely to compete again in the tournament which ends May 26, meaning he would fight in July’s Nagoya meet as a demotion-threatened “kadoban” ozeki.

It is the first time since March last year Takakeisho has pulled out of a tournament. Third-ranked maegashira Tamawashi, his scheduled opponent for Thursday, gets a forfeit win.

Kakuryu overcame a spirited but short-lived effort from Bulgarian komusubi Aoiyama in the final bout at Ryogoku Kokugikan, while earlier Tochinoshin bested top-ranked maegashira Hokutofuji. The only other top-division wrestler to remain undefeated after five days of action is No. 8 Asanoyama.

In the absence of fellow Mongolian yokozuna Hakuho, the 33-year-old Kakuryu remains on target for a sixth title following the withdrawal of up-and-comer Takakeisho and other troubles among the ozeki-ranked fighters.

Challenging that bid is Tochinoshin, who hit the halfway mark toward regaining his ozeki status after beating top-ranked maegashira Hokutofuji (1-4). Tochinoshin did a good job of forcing Hokutofuji to the edge of the ring after their initial clash while grappling for his favored grip. After latching onto Hokutofuji's belt, Tochinoshin outmuscled Hokutofuji as they labored on the straw.

His sekiwake counterpart Ichinojo (2-3), in contrast, took a third loss after getting pushed out by komusubi Mitakeumi (3-2). The 227-kilogram Mongolian put up little fight against the former sekiwake and allowed himself to be calmly handled out.

The troubles also continued for Goeido (3-2) as he suffered his second upset of the meet, leaving the ring in frustration after a quick defeat against No. 2 Daieisho (3-2). The ozeki was unable to get a hand in edgewise as he was bulldozed out and fell further behind the leaders.

Takayasu, meanwhile, dodged a bullet against No. 3 Chiyotairyu and improved to 3-2. Chiyotairyu got the better of the initial clash and sent the ozeki back in a flurry of thrusts, but Takayasu slipped to the side and pulled the rank-and-filer to the clay for a textbook slap-down win.

Among the lower-ranked wrestlers, Asanoyama defeated No. 10 Kagayaki (1-4) to remain among the top division's undefeated. The Takasago stable wrestler drove Kagayaki to the ring's edge before sending his opponent down to the clay with a beltless arm throw.

Natsu Day 6: Title chase down to two unbeatens
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Written by Kyodo
Published: 17 May 2019
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Sekiwake Tochinoshin survived a trial of endurance on Friday to remain in a tie with yokozuna Kakuryu after both men collected wins on Day 6 of the Summer Grand Sumo Tournament.

The Georgian was put to the test for over a minute at Ryogoku Kokugikan and prevailed in a nail-biter against fellow sekiwake Ichinojo (2-4) to remain on track to reach the 10-win mark needed to regain ozeki status.

After regaining his ground against the Mongolian, who had gotten the better of their first crash, Tochinoshin strong-armed Ichinojo to the edge while trying to remain centered in the ring. The 31-year-old nearly exhausted his resources trying to lift out the 227-kg fighter, but Tochinoshin had enough left in the tank for one final nudge as Ichinojo broke down.

In the day’s final bout, yokozuna Kakuryu retained his spotless record after a close brush with No. 2 maegashira Daieisho (3-3). Kakuryu allowed himself to be taken back to the straw while connecting for a last-ditch, slap-down win.

In earlier bouts, No. 8 Asanoyama relinquished his share of the lead as his five-day undefeated run ended, while troubles continued to plague struggling ozeki Goeido and Takayasu.

Goeido suffered his second straight loss and fell to 3-3 after being brought down by No. 3 Chiyotairyu (2-4). Goeido went for an inside edge against the maegashira but was pulled down as Chiyotairyu capitalized on a rare opening.

Takayasu was also handed a third loss, at the hands of No. 3 Tamawashi. The ozeki was put upright by his foe at the outset and was unable to gain ground against an onslaught of pushes and shoves as Tamawashi also evened his record at 3-3.

In other bouts, Mitakeumi got the better of his initial clash with No. 1 Kotoshogiku (2-4) and improved to 4-2. The former ozeki tried to rally against the komusubi but was consistently denied a belt hold while being gradually forced from the ring.

Pre-tournament favorite Kakuryu took another step at Ryogoku Kokugikan toward his sixth top-level title by beating No. 3 maegashira Chiyotairyu, who remains winless in 11 matches against the 33-year-old yokozuna.

Kakuryu ended the first week of the 15-day tournament by blowing away Chiyotairyu (2-5) from the opening jump. Planting both hands in Chiyotairyu’s chest, the yokozuna gave his opponent little chance of escaping the quick frontal force-out.

Tochinoshin moved to 7-0 by forcing out No. 1 Kotoshogiku (2-5) in an impressive display of strength. After getting shoved toward the edge, Tochinoshin hoisted the 35-year-old former ozeki by his belt and drove him out backward.

Ozeki Goeido (4-3) bounced back from two straight losses by beating No. 3 Tamawashi (3-4). Goeido countered Tamawashi’s slapping attack by going inside for a belt grip. He quickly pushed out the Mongolian, who claimed his first top-level title at the New Year Basho.

Ozeki Takayasu improved to 4-3 by pushing out No. 2 Daieisho (3-4), who was looking for another upset after beating Goeido on Thursday. Takayasu absorbed Daieisho’s initial thrusting attack before shoving him off balance and pushing him out.

Sekiwake Ichinojo dropped to 2-5 with a loss to No. 1 Hokutofuji (3-4). The maegashira was quick off the mark and blew the 227-kg Mongolian out of the ring with a pushing attack.

Mitakeumi improved to 5-2 while handing fellow komusubi Aoiyama (1-6) his fifth straight loss. After forcing Aoiyama back with a thrusting attack, Mitakeumi resisted a pull-down attempt before pushing out the 193-kg Bulgarian.

No. 8 Asanoyama (6-1) remained one win off the pace after pushing out No. 6 Yoshikaze (2-5).

Takakeisho to return to action on Sunday
Newly promoted ozeki and crowd favorite Takakeisho (3-2-2) is set to rejoin the tournament Sunday after missing three matches with a knee injury suffered on Day 4 against Mitakeumi.

The 22-year-old wrestler, promoted to ozeki for the tournament, sustained the injury against Mitakeumi on Wednesday and has not competed since.

“We talked about this at depth. It seemed the swelling on his (right knee) reduced,” stablemaster Chiganoura said. “Not only does he feel responsible as an ozeki, but also I think Takakeisho wants to compete.”

The fan favorite was diagnosed with an injury to the ligament on the inside of the knee.

Takakeisho, who has three wins at this tournament, will need to win five of his remaining eight bouts to earn a winning record. If he finishes with a losing record, he would compete in July’s Nagoya meet as a demotion-threatened kadoban ozeki.

In Day 8’s final match, Kakuryu took his fifth loss in 15 bouts against Mongolian compatriot Tamawashi (4-4), losing by frontal push out. Following two restarts, Tamawashi established a strong position at the jump, thrusting his hands to the chest of Kakuryu. Keeping low, he drove the yokuzuna back and out.

Tochinoshin, who needs at least 10 wins to regain his ozeki ranking in July, hit a hurdle when he was thrown to the clay by No. 2 Endo (3-5). Following a heavy collision, Endo blocked Tochinoshin’s attempt at an outside belt grip before twisting him off his feet.

Twenty-two-year-old crowd favorite Takakeisho fought with heavy strapping around the right knee he injured in his Day 4 win over Mitakeumi. As Takakeisho (3-3-2) leapt off the mark, Aoiyama (2-6) stepped to the side and slapped the ozeki to the clay for his first win in four head-to-head meetings.

Ozeki Takayasu improved to 5-3 after forcing out No. 4 Okinoumi (2-6) in workmanlike fashion. Following the opening collision, the pair locked up in the center as each searched for a grip. After a long pause, Takayasu used his superior strength and leverage to dislodge his lower-ranked opponent.

Fellow ozeki Goeido also improved to 5-3 by beating komusubi Mitakeumi (5-3). The komusubi seemed to have the momentum, driving Goeido backward, but he was unable to force out the ozeki after inadvertently pushing him into the referee at the edge of the ring. Having secured a two-hand grip, Goeido seized his opportunity and forced Mitakeumi out backwards.

Mongolian sekiwake Ichinojo (2-6) withdrew with a right leg injury, forfeiting his bout against No. 1 Kotoshogiku (3-5). The largest man in the division at 227 kg, Ichinojo will be out for the remainder of the tournament, according to his Minato stable.

Natsu Day 9: Kakuryu bounces back as Tochinoshin gets day off
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Written by Kyodo
Published: 20 May 2019
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Yokozuna Kakuryu rebounded from his first loss at the Summer Grand Sumo Tournament with a smooth victory, while sekiwake Tochinoshin found himself granted a win following a rare second withdrawal by new ozeki Takakeisho.

The two upper-ranked fighters remain tied for the lead with No. 8 maegashira Asanoyama as all three wrestlers secured winning records on Day 9 at Tokyo’s Ryogoku Kokugikan.

In the final bout of the day, Kakuryu squared off against No. 4 Okinoumi (2-7) and didn’t expect much of a challenge, having amassed a 70 percent win ratio against his challenger. After Kakuryu pinned down Okinoumi’s left arm on his initial charge, all the Mongolian yokozuna had to do was steer the helpless maegashira out of the ring.

Tochinoshin got some mid-tournament luck and won his scheduled match with Takakeisho (3-4-2) by forfeit after the ozeki pulled out of the meet for a second time due to an aggravated right knee injury. The Georgian had been facing a potentially tough bout, having only beaten Takakeisho once in seven matches at the top level. The recently demoted sekiwake needs just two more wins over the next six days to regain ozeki status.

With Takakeisho’s stablemaster saying his young grappler will be sidelined until July’s grand tournament at the earliest, Takakeisho will be forced to fight as a kadoban ozeki, needing a winning record in Nagoya to avoid demotion from sumo’s second-highest rank.

Among the other two ozeki, Goeido and Takayasu continued their rebound streaks and improved to 6-3.

Goeido was momentarily pushed back by No. 4 Abi (6-3), but deftly broke the maegashira’s shove and pulled him down to the clay by his arms for a quick win.

Takayasu, on the other hand, was made to work for his third straight win. The ozeki was put into an awkward stance and forced to lock up with No. 5 Myogiryu (3-6) as both wrestlers searched for a hold. After Myogiryu rallied and fended off Takayasu’s attempt to fling him around, the back-and-forth contest eventually ended in favor of Takayasu as he pounced on a chance to push Myogiryu out.

Asanoyama was the first man in the top division to secure a winning record after he defeated No. 5 Ryuden (6-3). Asanoyama looked primed for a slap-down win but was forced to mount a second attack after his opponent rallied back. Ryuden tried to circle around for an overarm throw but was forced out as Asanoyama retained his portion of the lead.

In other matches, komusubi Mitakeumi (6-3) wasted little time picking up his win on Day 9, getting in low against rival and top-ranked maegashira Hokutofuji (3-6) and bulldozing him out to a sixth loss.

A day after upsetting Takakeisho, Aoiyama (3-6) earned his second straight win after quickly dispatching No. 1 maegashira Kotoshogiku (3-6). The returning komusubi held his ground against the former ozeki, using his massive arms to thrust Kotoshogiku over the straw.

Among other lower-ranked wrestlers, top-division debutant Enho and No. 15 Kotoeko each improved to 7-2 to stay in contention for the Emperor’s Cup.

A good weekend of sumo. Seems like the yusho race is between Tochinoshin and Kakuryu. Abi vs Kakuryu and Mitakeumi vs Tochinoshin on Tuesday will be interesting. I did think Goeido was lucky on Sunday when the gyoji got in the way with his match with Mitakeumi.